MMA News

On the undercard of tomorrow night's UFC event is a very intriguing matchup. Roy "Big Country" Nelson takes on Alistair "The Reem" Overeem in a fight that could very well go either way. What makes this fight so interesting is that it could end with just one punch--in either man's favor.

Roy Nelson is famed for his overhand right, a punch that has knocked out many a UFC contender. And Alistair Overeem has been on the wrong end of a few spectaculars knockouts in his career. So if Big Country is able to land a big shot, it should be lights out for Alistair.

Despite this, however, the betting odds slightly favor Overeem going into the match. Although his chin is somewhat suspect, The Reem is an explosive puncher himself and a powerful grappler with a devastating ground and pound game. A former K1 kickboxing and Strikeforce MMA champ, Overeem has been in the game for a long time and has the tools to beat Nelson--if he doesn't get caught. Conversely, Nelson has been a recent victim of knockout blows himself and people have begun questioning his chin. One bomb from Overeem could spell the end of his night.

So while the odds makers have this bout favoring The Reem, I see it as a straight up pick 'em fight. It's just a matter of who gets to the other man's chin first.

If you are a betting man, choose wisely when placing a bet on this bout, or maybe don't bet at all. There are plenty of other fights coming up in the UFC and Bellator and WSOF that might better bets if you follow the sport. One excellent site for betting is UFCBetting.com, where you can find results and analysis and use their UFC betting guide to help you make the best bet possible.

And here is one other piece of advice for those watching the Roy Nelson vs. Alistair Overeem match at UFC 185. Don't blink!

There has been a lot of speculation about a supposed lawsuit against the UFC by professional MMA fighters and their managers. Well, the rumors are true. There will be a press conference tomorrow at 1pm PST.

The presser will take place at the Hyatt Place San Jose/Downtown in San Jose, Calif., 95113.

MMA is the fastest growing sport in the world. Since it first exploded on the scene in 1993 with UFC 1, the sport has grown by leaps and bounds, and now events take place all over the world. In fact, in countries as diverse as Sweden, Mexico and China, MMA is growing at an amazing rate. There is just something special about two competitors being locked in a cage for 15 to 25 minutes, in a battle to determine which fighter is the best fighter that night.

At first, the sport of MMA was strictly a man's game. But after a few years, women decided to get in on the action, and eventually big female MMA stars were born. Gina Carano, who fought for Strikeforce, became an action movie star after her MMA career ended. And now Ronda Rousey, the reigning UFC women's champion, is following in Gina's footsteps, with a recent movie credit in the Expendables 3 with Sylvester Stallone.

But not only are the fighters and fans winning in MMA. The soaring popularity of mixed martial arts has presented enthusiasts on betting with ample opportunity to get in on the action as well. One of the popular amongst online bookmakers is William Hill, where you can wager on MMA and many other sports as well. You can visit their website to see all of their sports betting offers such as on Mixed Martial Arts, boxing, basketball and so on.

There is a lot of money to be made by savvy bettors who study MMA. Knowing the fighters, their strengths and weaknesses, and their current injury status, can tell you a lot about who will win the fight. When it comes to betting on MMA, it's more about skill than luck, so if you are a devoted fan, you definitely have an inside track when it comes to betting on the fights.

Betting on MMA, in some ways, actually makes more sense than betting on team sports. With just two competitors facing off, it's much easier to study the fighters and learn about how their styles will mesh in the cage. In addition, the fighters all have social media accounts, which provide valuable insider information about how the fighters are doing in their training camps, and what fans can expect to see come fight night.

If you're thinking on trying your hand at sports betting, checking the odds on MMA is a great way to get started. But remember to roll it in a trustworthy portal for safety especially when dealing online.

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World Series of Fighting will soon crown the second champion in company history as Rick "The Gladiator" Glenn (14-2-1) meets Georgi "Insane" Karakhanyan (22-3-1) for the promotion's inaugural featherweight title.

The two meet at "World Series of Fighting 7: Johnson vs. Kyle," which takes place Dec. 7 at PNE Agrodome in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The night's main card airs on NBCSN at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT following prelims that stream on World Series of Fighting's official website, WSOF.com.

Tickets for World Series of Fighting 7, which start at just $29, are available at TicketLeader.ca

"Anyone who's seen Rick Glenn and Georgi Karakhanyan fight knows what kind of exciting, dynamic athletes they are in the cage," World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo said. "These two have proven themselves as the top two fighters in our 145-pound division, and I can't wait to see them meet for our first-ever featherweight belt."

Glenn is a 24-year-old member of Wisconsin's famed Roufusport team. An Iowa native, Glenn has been competing professionally since 2006 and is unbeaten in his past 12 contests. He's fought twice under the World Series of Fighting banner, earning a knockout over Alexandre Pimentel in March and returning in September to score an impressive decision win over a previously unbeaten Artur Rofi.

Meanwhile, Karakhanyan brings an eight-fight win streak to the matchup. The 28-year-old Millennia MMA fighter, who was born in Russia but now makes his home in Southern California, also turned pro in 2006 and has since racked up 22 wins, including 12 submission victories and another four by knockout. He debuted for World Series of Fighting in September, scoring an impressive first-round submission win over Waylon Lowe, who had won his previous four fights by knockout.

The winner of the Glenn vs. Karakhanyan will join recently crowned welterweight champion Steve Carl as the first two title holders on the World Series of Fighting roster.

With the addition to the World Series of Fighting 7 lineup, the night's main card now includes:

LAS VEGAS (Oct. 29, 2013) - The World Series of Fighting continues to expand its global footprint with the launch of World Series of Fighting Japan (WSOF Japan).

World Series of Fighting launches its new Japanese division in a partnership with the long-running and highly respected Pancrase organization, a Tokyo-based group that has promoted mixed martial arts events since 1993 and is widely considered one of the most historically important organizations in the sport.

"Japan has long been a home of top-level martial arts competitions of all types, and I personally have enjoyed some of the best moments of my fighting career there," World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo said. "I'm excited to announce this new division with the launch of World Series of Fighting Japan.

"I look forward to working with Pancrase CEO Masakazu Sakai and his team, and together we will produce amazing events for the Japanese fight fans, as well as big opportunities for both Asia-based fighters and MMA fighters around the globe."

The first World Series of Fighting Japan event is expected to take place in early 2014. The relationship will allow fighters from both sides of the Pacific Ocean to be featured in fight cards in both the U.S. and Japan, including recent World Series of Fighting addition Yushin "Thunder" Okami (29-8), one of the world's top-ranked middleweights.

The launch of World Series of Fighting Japan marks the second international branch of the WSOF brand to be announced in the past month alone, as World Series of Fighting Canada is set for a Dec. 7 debut. More details will be announced in the coming weeks.

LAS VEGAS (Oct. 14, 2013) - World Series of Fighting officials are happy to announce the addition of perennial top-ranked middleweight Yushin Okami (29-8) to the company's roster.

The 32-year-old "Thunder" Okami recently signed a multi-fight deal with the Las Vegas-based World Series of Fighting promotion, and he's expected to make his first appearance for the company in early 2014.

"We're extremely excited to announced that Yushin Okami as the newest member of our middleweight division," World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo said. "MMA fans around the world know Yushin has long been among the best 185-pound fighters in the sport, and we're happy to have him as a member of the World Series of Fighting family."

A judo black belt, Okami has been competing professionally since 2002. After building an impressive 16-3 record competing largely in his native Japan, Okami in 2006 debuted for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He would go on to fight 18 times for the UFC, including an August 2011 bid for the promotion's middleweight title.

While Okami's debut date and opponent have not yet been officially determined, he could prove an immediate title contender in World Series of Fighting's 185-pound division. The company will crown its first middleweight champion in early 2014, as the winner of World Series of Fighting 7's Elvis Mutapcic vs. Jesse Taylor bout moves on to meet David Branch in the finals of the company's four-man middleweight tournament.

MEDFORD, Mass. (October 7, 2013) - As he prepares to officially launch the new American Fighting Organization (AFO), two-time World Boxing Association heavyweight champion John "The Quietman" Ruiz has become New England's newest combat sports promoter.

AFO will promote amateur and professional mixed martial arts and boxing events, as well as promote MMA fighters and boxers, starting in January with an amateur MMA tournament in various weight classes to determine the best in New England.

"We are going to put on the best shows in New England," Ruiz promised. "I'm investing a lot of money to promote events and fighters, in addition to putting on great MMA and boxing shows for fans."

Ruiz, under Quietman Sports, purchased AFO, its website and debt, which was recently paid off.

"I'd been talking about promoting and this opportunity came out of nowhere," Ruiz continued. "AFO was structured as one of the oldest MMA promotional companies in New England. It was also in place and that was better for us than starting out from scratch. AFO's reputation within the industry may not have been the best but we've paid off its debts and are now prepared to make the new AFO the best combat sports promotional company in New England.

"Fighters are fighters. At my gym (Quietman Sports Gym in Medford, MA) we teach MMA and boxing. It has a nice ring and cage, too. Since I retired as a boxer, I've always felt like I would get into promoting boxing, and AFO will be boxing and MMA. I want to bring more class to both sports. Our shows will offer better competition and more entertaining fights, in both MMA and boxing in New England."

Ruiz said that he is looking throughout New England for a venue that can become the new AFO home and waiting to hear back from prospective television networks interested in airing AFO shows.